El Dorado turns fantasy into reality

Kristi Claes as Winnifred, attempts unsuccessfully to sleep on a bed of 20 soft mattresses during El Dorado High School's production of "Once Upon a Mattress." JESUS FLORES, COURTESY OF EL DORADO HIGH

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Grant Beach as Prince Dauntless listens to his mother, Queen Aggravaine, played by Nora Hawari explain that she wants him to get married during El Dorado High's production of "Once Upon a Mattress." JESUS FLORES, COURTESY OF EL DORADO HIGH

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Natalie Leonard as Larkin and Brian Mogilewsky as Harry plan their future in "In a Little While," during El Dorado High's production of "Once Upon a Mattress." JESUS FLORES, COURTESY OF EL DORADO HIGH

Once upon a time in a kingdom far away, there lived a speechless king, a domineering queen and a "bright" prince, who longed for a princess to call his wife. Yet, under his mother's decree no one else in the land could be wed until he was married. When all seems lost, along comes an eccentric princess who desires his hand in marriage. But can she pass the test to gain his hand?

Move aside Cinderella and Snow White because El Dorado High School's "Once Upon a Mattress" revamps the classic "happily ever after" into a musical phenomenon.

"Once Upon a Mattress" depicts the real story behind the princess and the pea. Set in medieval times, the story follows the life of Princess Winnifred the Woebegone (Kristi Claes) and her endeavors in hopes of winning the hand of Prince Dauntless (Grant Beach).

Zany and humorous as Winnifred, Claes brings the character to life through wacky idiosyncrasies and sidesplitting appearances. For example, when she crawls out of the castle's moat water drips from her Huckleberry-colored dress and vines adorn her wiry copper hair, as she races up to each man in the court and looks for her "Prince Charming" during the song "Shy."

Grant Beach as Prince Dauntless exemplifies tremendous chemistry with both his overbearing mother, Queen Aggravain (Nora Hawari), and racy mute father, King Sextimus (Jerome Lachapelle). As Aggravain, Hawari dominates the stage with immense portentousness and an earth-trembling voice, as she criticizes Winnifred by alerting her court "she swam the moat."

In juxtaposition to Aggravain's bombastic ego, King Sextimus graces the stage with spot-on comedic timing through raunchy and obscene gestures, like when he places his crown between his legs to reenact childbirth for naive Dauntless during their highly acclaimed song "Man to Man Talk."

As the archetype of the damsel in distress, Lady Larkin (Natalie Leonard) captivates the audience's hearts as she informs Sir Harry (Brian Mogilewski) of their pregnancy and pronounces her burning love for him during "Yesterday I Loved You."

With excellent and original student choreography by Megan Hill and Maddie Hill and profound costume selection, El Dorado proves happy endings are not just myth, but can be achieved through a difficult test, 20 mattresses and one tiny green pea.

Chase Robinson is a sophomore at San Juan Hills High School in San Juan Capistrano.

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